Written by Taryn Crankshaw

Warning: This review is for Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, which is a film presented at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. There may be slight spoilers present. Reader discretion is advised.

Image courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival.

There’s a troubling notion that Canadian media often plays second fiddle to our American counterparts. With the superiority of Hollywood, we’re up against giants but that does not negate the fact that when our storytelling breaks through the red, white and blue tape, it’s borderline eternal. Heartland has lassoed nineteen seasons. Same with Murdoch Mysteries. The Beachcombers ran for eighteen while This Hour Has 22 Minutes has been making us laugh for an astounding thirty-three. But perhaps, the biggest and bravest of these Canadian icons is the institution known as Degrassi. Spanning multiple series, made for TV movies, books, webisodes and a massive fan base, the franchise ran on and off between 1979 and 2017. In Lisa Rideout’s latest doc, Degrassi: Whatever it Takes she explores the cultural impact and history of the teenage juggernaut.

Chalk full of interviews with fan favourites, Whatever it Takes, starts off as a celebration. Diving into the origins of the series, it explores its rich and wholesome history with its co-creator, Linda Schuyler. Rideout does an excellent job of highlighting just how innovative Degrassi: Junior High and Degrassi High. Predecessors to teen-centric shows like Beverly Hills: 90210, it really was the first of its kind. An honest and frank portrayal of adolescence, it covered every topic from bullying to teen pregnancy to abortion. However, even Schuyler admits “Have we always gotten it right? Probably not. Have we told our stories with the best of intentions? Yes, we have,” In particular there’s a portion of the doc that focuses on an actor Dayo Ade and his character, BLT and an under-baked episode where he faces racism and yet, it mostly focuses on how it affects his date, a white character, Michelle. At this point, the doc truly starts to unmask some of the series’ flaws (both onscreen and behind the scenes). Many of the former cast members delve into their accounts of being underpaid, including Amanda Stepto aka Spike recalls being paid “50 bucks a day”. This kind of transparency is one Whatever It Takes’ strongest asset, a courageous stance which caused Schuyler to seek legal action (which was settled) against the doc ahead of its premiere at TIFF.

Jake Epstein, Stegan Brogren, Shane Kippel, Miriam McDonald and Jordan Todosey are some of the other Degrassi pupils who appear in the film. McDonald’s discussion of her personal and professional lives colliding when her onscreen persona, Emma, deals with an eating disorder is particularly heartwrenching. On the other side of the spectrum, Epstein, Ade and Brogren offer some memorable laughs, which assists in balancing out the light and darkness of Degrassi’s complex history. Of course, we cannot mention Canada’s most famous school without bringing up the franchises most famous grad, Drake. Humble and introspective, one of the best parts of the doc is watching the Grammy award winner reflect on his experience in such an honest and vulnerable way, it might even produce a tear or two.

Teen television shows have evolved exponentially since Degrassi premiered in 1987. However, unlike its followers, it never prioritized the so-called glamour and drama of shows like Gossip Girl or Europhria. It was about teens and played by actual teens. It favored grit and pushed the envelope to evoke conversations, rather than attention. Even before the reboot craze of the 2010s and 2020s, Degrassi had its fingers on the pulse and was ahead of the game in every way. Whether or not you were a casual viewer or a diehard (aka Kevin Smith), there’s no denying that the franchise is one of Canada’s biggest and most successful exports. Overcast by a settled lawsuit, the doc that isn’t afraid to get messy. In fact, it’s tremendous unpacking the complexities of nostalgia. And for a program that is as meaningful yet flawed but special as Degrassi, Whatever It Takes is the perfect love letter to the series that raised Canada.

Taryn Crankshaw is an actress and writer from Toronto, Canada. In 2023, her screenplay, "Big Day" reached the Top 15% of all Academy Nicholls Fellowship entries and was named Grand Prize Winner of the Hamilton Film Festival's Screenplay Competition (2022). In addition, she is also a graduate of the McMaster University's Film and Theatre Studies program, Second City Conservatory, and currently works for the Toronto International Film Festival.